Million pound book stock funding for NI Libraries
LIBRARIES NI has received £1m in additional funding for new books after revealing current levels would only cover existing newspaper and magazine subscriptions. The funding was announced on World Book Day by Northern Ireland Commu- nities Minister Gordon Lyons, who said: “I’m pleased to be able to support the funding of this replenishment of stock in all libraries,” adding: “As we come together to celebrate World Book Day and the enjoyment of reading, we are confident that this funding will have a positive impact in the communities our libraries serve.” Jim O’Hagan, chief executive of Librar-
ies NI said the organisation was “very grateful to be able to buy books again”. The BBC reported that the £1m award brings the total funding for book stock for 96 libraries to £3m for 2023-24. Last year it reported that Libraries NI
could not afford to buy new books due to a “significant funding gap” in its annual budget. The Department for Communities (DfC), which funds libraries, had warned that it was given 15.5 per cent less in day-to-day spending in its budget than it had asked for. The BBC said the Libraries NI budget to run the library service had fallen to £29m in 2023/24 from about £30.8m in 2022/23. It said this had had a particular impact on buying new books with the expected spend on books falling from £4.3m to £260,000 resulting in insufficient funds to purchase books for the library service dur- ing 2023/24. Responding to questions from BBC News
NI, Libraries NI said: “The funding deficit is causing considerable financial challenges for Libraries NI. For this year, at this stage, Libraries NI is only able to cover existing subscriptions and no new book stock can be purchased.”
Gordon Lyons MLA.
Existing subscriptions was understood to mean annual subscriptions to newspapers, magazines and journals that are free to read in libraries. The new book stock following the £1m funding will include books for all ages and interests, along with eBooks and eAudio- books, for libraries across Northern Ireland.
March 2024
INFORMATION PROFESSIONAL 9
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